"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses,
let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely,
and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us..." (Hebrews 12: 1)
This passage from the Bible sums up a litany of the exploits of notable characters in the Hebrew Scriptures. It's a passage often read in worship near All Hallows' Eve - Halloween, the night before All Saints Day. It's the time when the Catholic Church celebrated the lives and examples of all the many saints who didn't get their own day among the 365. A special holiday to honor the runners-up, the more obscure saints who didn't rate their own squares on the calendar.
Today as I did my morning and evening commute, I was filled with wonderment at the sheer scale and density of humanity around me. There is nothing like riding public transportation at rush hour to put me in my place, to keep me on the level. To remind me that we're all in this together. Driving a car to work just doesn't give me the same sense of existential communion. On the road, I'm presented with the illusion of being a lonesome human in a stream of rapidly-moving metal objects. But on the subway train, there's no denying that I'm no more or less than one of the almost 3.6 million human residents of the largest city in the United States.
I'm just another speck in the cloud of witnesses that surge down the escalator, into the train, out and up the escalator again. What a great reminder to "lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely", for the sake of myself and everybody else crowding around me. Relax, go with the flow, lighten up. Abandon any pretense of alienation from the supremely precious human beings who surround me. Be giddy with the realization that each human being in this mass of humanity is a unique universe of feelings and experiences and insights that I would barely be able to comprehend even if I had time to get to know all of them. We're all runners-up on the subway, letting the train run with perseverance the race that is set before it. We're all fellow travelers on the journey.
As such, now's the time for us to renew a commitment to the common good, refresh our delight in public virtues, celebrate shared values. Now's the time to get in line with each other and vote for kindness, for humility, for respect, for patience... for a change!
Having moved here recently, we didn't have time to sign up for absentee ballots. Our son in law, Ali, didn't sign up for one this time, either. I share his sentiment: "At first I was bummed I had to go down and vote in person. But now I'm really glad I get to stand in line with the crowd on Tuesday!" For him, for me, being part of a cloud of witnesses never looked so good...
__________________
How I'm Voting on California's Ballot Propositions
1A - Yes - Can't wait to take a 2-hour train between LA and SF!! Wildly expensive but vital investment in infrastructure.
2 - Yes - More humane treatment for farm animals.
3- No - Not convinced it is a good enough reason for more state debt.
4 - No - I don't believe in legislating how family members should communicate with each other re: abortion or anything else.
5 - Yes - More flexibility in sentencing drug offenders.
6 - No - Locks in funding and sentencing requirements at a time when more flexibility is needed.
7 - No - Unwieldy and possibly counterproductive attempt to create more renewable energy.
8 - No - I perform same-sex weddings! and celebrate same-sex couples' right to marry.
9 - No - More, not less, flexibility is necessary in sentencing offenders.
10 - No - An unwieldy and overly expensive measure to increase energy efficiency.
11 - Yes - Finally, a good way to de-politicize the redistricting process.
12 - Yes - Pays for itself - helps vets buy houses.
This passage from the Bible sums up a litany of the exploits of notable characters in the Hebrew Scriptures. It's a passage often read in worship near All Hallows' Eve - Halloween, the night before All Saints Day. It's the time when the Catholic Church celebrated the lives and examples of all the many saints who didn't get their own day among the 365. A special holiday to honor the runners-up, the more obscure saints who didn't rate their own squares on the calendar.
Today as I did my morning and evening commute, I was filled with wonderment at the sheer scale and density of humanity around me. There is nothing like riding public transportation at rush hour to put me in my place, to keep me on the level. To remind me that we're all in this together. Driving a car to work just doesn't give me the same sense of existential communion. On the road, I'm presented with the illusion of being a lonesome human in a stream of rapidly-moving metal objects. But on the subway train, there's no denying that I'm no more or less than one of the almost 3.6 million human residents of the largest city in the United States.
I'm just another speck in the cloud of witnesses that surge down the escalator, into the train, out and up the escalator again. What a great reminder to "lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely", for the sake of myself and everybody else crowding around me. Relax, go with the flow, lighten up. Abandon any pretense of alienation from the supremely precious human beings who surround me. Be giddy with the realization that each human being in this mass of humanity is a unique universe of feelings and experiences and insights that I would barely be able to comprehend even if I had time to get to know all of them. We're all runners-up on the subway, letting the train run with perseverance the race that is set before it. We're all fellow travelers on the journey.
As such, now's the time for us to renew a commitment to the common good, refresh our delight in public virtues, celebrate shared values. Now's the time to get in line with each other and vote for kindness, for humility, for respect, for patience... for a change!
Having moved here recently, we didn't have time to sign up for absentee ballots. Our son in law, Ali, didn't sign up for one this time, either. I share his sentiment: "At first I was bummed I had to go down and vote in person. But now I'm really glad I get to stand in line with the crowd on Tuesday!" For him, for me, being part of a cloud of witnesses never looked so good...
__________________
How I'm Voting on California's Ballot Propositions
1A - Yes - Can't wait to take a 2-hour train between LA and SF!! Wildly expensive but vital investment in infrastructure.
2 - Yes - More humane treatment for farm animals.
3- No - Not convinced it is a good enough reason for more state debt.
4 - No - I don't believe in legislating how family members should communicate with each other re: abortion or anything else.
5 - Yes - More flexibility in sentencing drug offenders.
6 - No - Locks in funding and sentencing requirements at a time when more flexibility is needed.
7 - No - Unwieldy and possibly counterproductive attempt to create more renewable energy.
8 - No - I perform same-sex weddings! and celebrate same-sex couples' right to marry.
9 - No - More, not less, flexibility is necessary in sentencing offenders.
10 - No - An unwieldy and overly expensive measure to increase energy efficiency.
11 - Yes - Finally, a good way to de-politicize the redistricting process.
12 - Yes - Pays for itself - helps vets buy houses.